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EquiVolume boxes put price action and volume together for easy visual analysis. EquiVolume boxes plot the high-low range for length and volume for width. Thin boxes show relatively low volume, while wide boxes show relatively high volume. Square or wide boxes reflect high volume with relatively little price movement. Even with this added volume dimension, chartists can easily spot traditional patterns, support/resistance breaks and reversals.
Price Scaling
There are two methods for displaying the price scale along the y-axis: arithmetic and logarithmic. An arithmetic scale displays 10 points (or dollars) as the same vertical distance no matter what the price level. Each unit of measure is the same throughout the entire scale. If a stock advances from 10 to 80 over a 6-month period, the move from 10 to 20 will appear to be the same distance as the move from 70 to 80. Even though this move is the same in absolute terms, it is not the same in percentage terms.
A logarithmic scale measures price movements in percentage terms. An advance from 10 to 20 would represent an increase of 100%. An advance from 20 to 40 would also be 100%, as would an advance from 40 to 80. All three of these advances would appear as the same vertical distance on a logarithmic scale. Most charting programs refer to the logarithmic scale as a semi-log scale, because the time axis is still displayed arithmetically.
The chart above uses the 4th-Quarter performance of VeriSign to illustrate the difference in scaling. On the semi-log scale, the distance between 50 and 100 is the same as the distance between 100 and 200. However, on the arithmetic scale, the distance between 100 and 200 is significantly greater than the distance between 50 and 100.
Key points on the benefits of arithmetic and semi-log scales:
• Arithmetic scales are useful when the price range is confined within a relatively tight range.
• Arithmetic scales are useful for short-term charts and trading. Price movements (particularly for stocks) are shown in absolute dollar terms and reflect movements dollar for dollar.
• Semi-log scales are useful when the price has moved significantly, be it over a short or extended time frame
• Trend lines tend to match lows better on semi-log scales.
• Semi-log scales are useful for long-term charts to gauge the percentage movements over a long period of time. Large movements are put into perspective.
• Stocks and many other securities are judged in relative terms through the use of ratios such as PE, Price/Revenues and Price/Book. With this in mind, it also makes sense to analyze price movements in percentage terms.
Scale Settings for Trend Lines
High points and low points appear to line up better for trend lines when prices are displayed using a semi-log scale. This is especially true when long-term trend lines are being drawn or when there is a large change in price. Most charting programs allow users to set the scale as arithmetic or semi-log. An arithmetic scale displays incremental values (5,10,15,20,25,30) evenly as they move up the y-axis. A $10 movement in price will look the same from $10 to $20 or from $100 to $110. A semi-log scale displays incremental values in percentage terms as they move up the y-axis. A move from $10 to $20 is a 100% gain, and would appear to be a much larger than a move from $100 to $110, which is only a 10% gain.
In the case of EMC, there was a large price change over a long period of time. While there were not any false breaks below the uptrend line on the arithmetic scale, the rate of ascent appears smoother on the semi-log scale. EMC doubled three times in less than two years. On the semi-log scale, the trend line fits all the way up. On the arithmetic scale, three different trend lines were required to keep pace with the advance.
In the case of Amazon.com (AMZN), there were two false breaks above the downtrend line as the stock declined during 2000 and 2001. These false break outs could have led to premature buying as the stock continued to decline after each one. The stock lost 60% of its value three times over a two year period. The semi-log scale reflects the percentage loss evenly, and the downtrend line was never broken.
Kagi Chart Parameters
There are three ways to specify the reversal amount that is used in the construction of a Kagi chart: Absolute points, Percentage, and Average True Range (ATR).
Absolute Points
With the Absolute Points method, you specify the number of points that a stock must reverse before a change in the Kagi line occurs. The advantage of this method is that it is very easy to understand and predict where reversals will occur. The disadvantage is that the point value needs to be different for high priced stocks than for low priced stocks. Typically, you will need to choose a value that is roughly 1/20th the average price of the stock during the time frame you want to chart. Common values include 1, 2, 4, and 10.
Important Note: The Default for Kagi "Pts" method is currently 14, which is too large for most stocks. You'll need to change it to a smaller number to get a useful chart.
Percentage
The Percentage method causes a reversal each time prices move more than the percentage that you specified. This has the advantage of not needing to change the setting if the value of the stock changes significantly during the time period being charted. The disadvantage is that it isn't easy to predict exactly where the next reversal will occur.
Average True Range (ATR)
The Average True Range (ATR) method uses the value of the ATR indicator to determine where the next reversal should occur. The ATR indicator is designed to ignore the normal volatility of a stock, and thus it can "automatically" find good reversal levels regardless of the value or volatility of the stock selected. ATR with a value of 14 is the default value for Kagi charts and should generate a very usable chart in most cases.
Structural Factors of Irrational Exuberance
Robert Shiller identifies 12 structural factors that contributed to the unprecedented rise in stock prices from 1995 to 2000. Even after the big decline into the 2002 lows, valuations were again at relatively high levels a few years later.
1. The capitalist explosion and the ownership society encouraged stock investing. Societies built on communism and socialism opened up to capitalistic ways. Russia and China come to mind over the last 20 years. George W. Bush promoted the ownership society by advocating property and stocks for all. Corporate downsizing and the decline of labor unions prompted people to take their destiny into their own hands and spawned the entrepreneurial spirit. Corporations tied salaries to performance with stock options.
2. Cultural and political changes favor business success. There has been a significant rise in materialistic values over the year. Shiller reports that more people viewed money as important to success in the mid 90s than in the mid 70s. Society viewed successful businessmen more favorably than scientists or artists. The 1995 Republican congress proposed cutting the capital gains tax and it was cut in 1997. Further cuts were proposed soon thereafter. These tax cuts as well as the anticipation of future capital gains tax cuts provided incentives to buy stocks.
3. New information technology suggested that new era. The first cell phones appeared in the early 1980's, which is when the great bull market started. The Internet came of age in the mid 1990's and grew rapidly the next five years. Investors viewed this Internet revolution as a game changer that justified the stock market boom.
4. Monetary policy and the Greenspan put took perceived risk out of the equation. The Fed did nothing to stop the surging stock market from 1995 to 1999. Interest rates did not increase until August 1999. In addition to letting the bubble grow, the Fed indicated that it would be there to pick up the pieces should anything go wrong, just like in 1987 and 1998. Having the Fed on standby in the event of a market crash was like owning a put option.
5. The perceived effects of the baby boomer generation. There was indeed a baby boom after World War II and this boom resulted in a large number of people aged 35-55 in 2000. However, Shiller argues with data that there is no correlation between a baby boom and a surging stock market. Instead, Shiller argues that, as with the Internet, the public perceptions of the baby boom influence help inflate the stock market.
6. The 1990's surge in business media undoubtedly contributed to interest in the stock market. Not much explanation is needed here. Newspapers created big glossy business sections to attract readers. Good stories replaced hard news. Increased media exposure led to more advertising and this simply fed the public appetite for stocks. The media continues to pour it one with Mad Money debuting in 2005.
7. Analysts estimates were routinely overoptimistic in the last 1990's. Shiller notes that Zachs reported sell recommendations on 9.1% of stocks in 1989 and just 1% of stocks in late 1999. Analysts were hesitant to issue sell recommendations because many firms also had investment banking ties with the company. Analysts also did not want to offend the company because they might then be cut off from earnings guidance or key information.
8. Defined-Contribution Pension Plans grew and replaced many Defined-Benefit Plans. Among other things, the decline in unions and big manufacturing industries (autos) contributed to this trend. More people also wanted control over their retirement funds. Those with Defined-Benefit Plans must make their own investment choices and this increases the exposure to stocks.
9. The number of mutual funds surged. From 1982 to 1998, the number of mutual funds grew tenfold (340 to 3513). At one point, there were more mutual funds than stocks listed on the NYSE. Mutual funds became a regular part of 401K's. Money moving into these mutual funds from 401K's and individual investors found its way into the stock market to feed the bubble. Shiller also notes that widespread advertising compounded this growth and increased public awareness to new levels.
10. Benign inflation created the illusion of wealth and prosperity. After runaway inflation in the 70's, the inflation outlook steadily improved from 1982. Shiller's research found that the public associates inflation with economic prosperity and social welfare. Such perceptions promote positive expectations for the economy and the stock market.
11. The explosion of trading volume kept the bid in the bubble. Increased interest in the stock market and a dramatic decline in commissions facilitated a surge in trading volume on the exchanges. The growth in online trading also facilitated increased interest and made it easy to trade more frequently.
12. There was an increase in gambling over the years. Government sanctioned gambling (lotteries) and commercial gambling grew in popularity over the years. Poker players became stars. Lottery jackpots were heavily promoted. Slick adverts portrayed gambling as sophisticated and increased one's propensity to take risks. Online gambling facilitated growth as well.
Pictorial Price History
Even if you are a tried and true fundamental analyst, a price chart can offer plenty of valuable information. The price chart is an easy to read historical account of a security's price movement over a period of time. Charts are much easier to read than a table of numbers. On most stock charts, volume bars are displayed at the bottom. With this historical picture, it is easy to identify the following:
• Reactions prior to and after important events.
• Past and present volatility.
• Historical volume or trading levels.
• Relative strength of a stock versus the overall market.
Deflationary Relationships
Murphy notes that the world shifted from an inflationary environment to a deflationary environment around 1998. It started with the collapse of the Thai Baht in the summer of 1997 and quickly spread to neighboring countries to become known as Asian currency crisis. Asian central bankers raised interest rates to support their currencies, but high interest rates choked their economies and compounded the problems. The subsequent threat of global deflation pushed money out of stocks and into bonds. Stocks fell sharply, Treasury bonds rose sharply and US interest rates decline. This marked a decoupling between stocks and bonds that would last for many years. Big deflationary events continued as the Nasdaq bubble burst in 2000, the housing bubble burst in 2006 and the financial crisis hit in 2007.
The intermarket relationships during a deflationary environment are largely the same except for one. Stocks and bonds are inversely correlated during a deflationary environment. This means stocks rise when bonds fall and visa versa. By extension, this also means that stocks have a positive relationship with interest rates. Yes, stocks and interest rates rise together.
Obviously, deflationary forces change the whole dynamic. Deflation is negative for stocks and commodities, but positive for bonds. A rise in bond prices and fall in interest rates increases the deflationary threat and this puts downward pressure on stocks. Conversely, a decline in bond prices and rise in interest rates decreases the deflationary threat and this is positive for stocks. The list below summarizes the key intermarket relationships during a deflationary environment.
An INVERSE relationship between bonds and stocks
A POSITIVE relationship between interest rates and stocks
An INVERSE relationship between commodities and bonds
A POSITIVE relationship between commodities and interest rates
A POSITIVE relationship between stocks and commodities
An INVERSE relationship between the US Dollar and commodities
All Gaps will be Filled
There is an old saying that the market abhors a vacuum and all gaps will be filled. While this may have some merit for common and exhaustion gaps, holding positions waiting for breakout or runaway gaps to be filled can be devastating to your portfolio. Likewise, waiting to get on-board a trend by waiting for prices to fill a gap can cause you to miss the big move. Gaps are a significant technical development in price action and chart analysis, and should not be ignored. Japanese candlestick analysis is filled with patterns that rely on gaps to fulfill their objectives.
Industry/Company Specific As A Weaknesses of Fundamental Analysis
Valuation techniques vary depending on the industry group and specifics of each company. For this reason, a different technique and model is required for different industries and different companies. This can get quite time-consuming, which can limit the amount of research that can be performed. A subscription-based model may work great for an Internet Service Provider (ISP), but is not likely to be the best model to value an oil company.
Analyst Bias ~ Weaknesses of Technical Analysis
Just as with fundamental analysis, technical analysis is subjective and our personal biases can be reflected in the analysis. It is important to be aware of these biases when analyzing a chart. If the analyst is a perpetual bull, then a bullish bias will overshadow the analysis. On the other hand, if the analyst is a disgruntled eternal bear, then the analysis will probably have a bearish tilt.
EquiVolume Chart Reversals
High volume moves can also signal the beginning of a trend. Chart 6 shows Alcoa (AA) trending lower from early January to early March 2009. The stock firmed around 5-6 in March and then broke out with a wide EquiVolume box. This was by far the widest box in months. Such strong buying pressure confirmed the reversal and foreshadowed a rally back to the January highs.
The above chart shows Goldman Sachs (GS) reversing an uptrend with three red EquiVolume boxes. The stock surged above 345 in late October, but moved sharply lower with a long-red-wide EquiVolume box in early November. Two more long-red-wide EquiVolume boxes followed as the stock broke support at 210. Together, these three EquiVolume boxes showed selling pressure intensifying. Goldman Sachs managed to bounce back above 235, but these EquiVolume boxes were narrower because of lower volume. Upside volume on the bounce was weaker than downside volume on the support break. Lacking conviction, this bounce failed and the stock moved to new reaction lows over the coming months.
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   Investor Hub Alerts: Sign up for 'STOCKGOODIES PLAYS OF THE WEEK ' E-Mail ListUPDATE; 5-1-22 courtesy of charting /\ wit tweezer top calls /\ Tony @Montana_Trades Really good study sheet on Candlestick Patterns [-chart]pbs.twimg.com/media/FRn8188XMAAdZvk?format=jpg&name=small[/chart] 
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